Salt and pepper shaker



Zlwuemloz WM FTzschZac/z w M FISCHBACH SALT AND PEPPER srmxsa Filed Sept. 19. 1923 'IIIIIIIIIIII Dec. 8, 1925- Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES WALTER M. FISCHBAQH, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

SALT AND PEPPER SHAKER.

Application filed September 19, 1923. Serial No. 663,600.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, WALTER M. FISCH- BACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Salt and Pepper Shakers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a combined salt and pepper shaker divided into two compartments, one for each of the condiments, and the main object of the invention is to provide a shaker from which salt or pepper may be shaken out separately. For this purpose the shaker is constructed so that the perforations for the salt compartment as well as for the pepper compartment may be closed separately or used separately.

As salt is used to a greater extent than pepper,the compartment intended to contain salt is preferably made considerably larger than the one intended for pepper and is, furthermore, provided with breakers or inwardly directed flanges for breaking up the salt which in damp weather often forms big lumps.

Still another object of the invention is to furnish the shaker with a turning cover and providing an operating device placed adjacent to a handle on the shaker and adapted to be operated by the users thumb. By turning the cover in one direction, suitable apertures in the cover will register with corresponding apertures in the top over the salt compartment, and by turning the cover in the'opposite direction, similar perforations will register to permit the shaking out of pepper. The turning movement of the cover is limited between these two extreme positions. i

In the accompanying drawing, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shaker;

Figure 2 is a vertical section along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section along line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4: is a perspective view of the cover alone.

The shaker consists of a box 10 preferably of square or round cross section. In this box is provided a vertical partition 11. ru

ning from top to bottom and dividing the box into two compartments 12 and 13 of unequal size, the former or larger intended for salt and the latter or smaller for pepper or other similar ground condiments. The box may be stamped or pressed out of sheet metal as indicated in the drawing, or cast from aluminum or any other suitable material. The 11 is secured to the opposite walls 14 and 15"of the box by inwardly turned flanges 16 engaging correspondnig flanges on the partition 11. When the box is made of sheet metal, it is evident that a seam would show on the outside of the box opposite to the flanges. Partly in order to makethe box symmetrical but mainly to provide breakers for the lumps of salt conpartition tained in the larger compartment, a pair of similar flanges 17 are formed in the walls 1d and 15, projecting inwardly in the larger or salt compartment. It is evident that when the box is shaken for emitting salt, any lumps of salt striking these flanges or ridges will be broken up.

When sheet metal is used, the best manner of manufacturing the box is to form a drum open at both ends and made with rounded corners, with a surrounding bead 9 a short distance in from each end of the box. The bottom 19 is formed separately and preferably recessed, as at 20, and provided with as indicated at 18, and

an outer flange 21 thereby forming channels &9. When the bottom is assembled on the lower end of the box, the edge of the flange 21 will abut against the corresponding bead9 of the box, while the side walls, as well as the partition 11, will be gripped tightly in the channelsiE) of the bottom. The top 22 is also provided with a surrounding flange 23 embracing the end of the box 10 and abutting against the corresponding top 22 has a central, circular depression, as at 24., in which the cover 25 is deposited to be flush with the top and this central depression has a shallow annular groove bead 9 at this end thereof. The

50 along its periphery provided with a gaging 1n the groove 50. This flange 1s provided with two downwardly directed lips 28 and 29 which are adapted to engage respectively in the depressions 26 and 27 but are slightly shorter than the latter so that the ends of the said lips 28 and 29 form stops to limit the turning of the cover. Through the cover and the top is inserted a central pin or pivot 30 forming the fulcrum for the cover. 7 The flange 51 engaging in the groove 50 prevents the condiments from dropping out at the edge of the cove'r.

Both the top and bottom are further secured on the box by indentations or punch marks, as at 31 and 32, the top permanently but'the bottom detachably, and the under side of the top has a flange 33 permanently engaging a corresponding flange Sat at the upper end of the partition 11 to prevent any salt orpepper to pass from one compartment to the other over the top of the partition 11. Over each of the compartments l2 and 13, the top is provided with a set of perforations 35 and 36, respectively, and the cover 25 is provided with correspending perforations 37 and 38, respectively. Beside these small perforations, a large aperture 39 is provided in the top and adapted to register with the corresponding aperture 40 in the cover when all of theperforations are closed, while when the cover stands in central position, as indicated in Figure 1, the top is completely closed.

The cover is provided with a finger grip 41 of semi-circular extent and consisting of an upstanding ledge adapted to fit the thumb of an operator. The said finger grip stands centrally adjacent to the handle 42 When the cover is in closed position, as seen in Figure 1, and the handle is secured on the corresponding rear wall of the box. The relativepositions of the handle and grip are such that when the fingers of one hand are inserted in the handle, the thumb will pass over the top of the latter and enter in the finger grip 41. When the cover is slightly turned out of central position in clockwise direction, only the apertures 39 and 4&0 register, but by turning the cover further in clockwise direction, these apertures will no longer register but the per forations 38' will register with the corresponding perforations 36 in the top only, all other openings being closed, permitting the shaking out of pepper from the compartment 13; By turning the cover in counter-clockwise direction, either from the last-mentioned position or from its central position, the perforations 37 only will reg ister with the corresponding perforations 35 in the top, permitting the shaking out of salt from the large compartment 12. In this position, the ends of the lips 28 and 29 abut against the ends of the corresponding depressions 26 and 27, preventing further turning of the cover, and, similarly, when the cover is turned in the opposite direction to permit the shaking out of pepper, the lips 28 and 29 also limit the turning of the cover in that direction.

It will be noted that when the cover is turned slightly from its central position, only the large apertures 39 and 40 register, permitting salt to be poured in great quantities through these apertures, but that both the latter and all of the perforations will be closed when the cover is in the central position, as seen in Fig. 1.

It is evident that the construction of the shaker will be substantially the same whether made of sheet metal or a casting. In the latter case, however, the top, sides, and partition will be cast in one while the cover, of course, would form a separate unit which has to be pivoted on the top. As the bottom is thus made detachable from the rest of the box, the filling of the shaker can be made from the lower end thereof.

When the shaker is made of sheet metal, the top, sides and partition are preferably permanently connected after having been previously cut and stamped, while the bottom is removably attached. Vith the shaker inverted and the cover in central or closed position, the filling of the shaker is very easily accomplished by removing the bottom, exposing the two compartments 12 and 13. lVhen the bottom is again attached it will form a closed connection with the sides and partition of the shaker, as these enter the channels 49 between the flanges in the bottom, thereby tightly closing the two compartments and preventing the salt and pepper from passing from one compartment to the other.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A shaker having a top provided with a circular groove, the groove having a shallow portion, the ends of which constitute stop-s elements, a cover pivoted on the top concentric with the groove, and a flange depending from the cover and fitting in the groove in the top, said flange having an interrupted portion passing through the shallow portion of the groove whereby to define cooperating stop elements to limit the pivotal movement of the cover, the cover and the top being provided with like drain openings.

2. A shaker comprising a body having a plurality of vertical ribs on the inner sides of opposed walls, corresponding opposing ribs having reentrant inner edge portions, a. par' tition having reentrant flanges along its side edges interengaging with the reentrant edge portions of the ribs, a lateral flange at the upper end of the partition, a top secured on the upper end of the body and provided on its under side with a projection interlocking with the lateral flange at the upper end of the partition, and means for controlling discharge through the top.

3. A shaker comprising a body, a top on the body having drain openings therein, a cover pivoted on the top and having like drain openings, and an upstanding arcuate ledge on the cover adjacent the edge thereof, the concave side of the ledge being presented 10 to the edge of the cover.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WVALTER M. FISCHBAOH. [1 s.] 

